What is Sport Psychology all about?

Working with a sport psychologist can help unlock your athlete’s full potential, not only in sport, but also in life. Sport psychology addresses many aspects in sport, essentially aiming athletes towards optimal performance and well-being. Your child, like many athletes, work very hard on the physical and tactical training that is needed to be successful in athletics but may forget–or even don’t know about–the importance of mindset training. We work with athletes on a variety of goals–looking to become better than you ever have before, getting back to where you once were, or working on recovering from an injury. Premier Sport Psychology’s sport psychologists want to help athletes of every age become physically strong and mentally stronger. We’ll work with your child to help improve skills like focus and imagery, as well as help develop more complex mental states such as confidence and motivation. Learning how to cope in social situations, deal with tough emotions, and be more mindful everyday are just a few of the life skills that youth athletes will learn.

We help athletes fill their Performance Toolbox!

Check out the toolbox below to see an example of some skills our youth athletes are learning not only for their sport, but also for life!

What can I expect the sport psychology sessions to be like?

Our sport psychologists have developed appropriate therapy techniques that are geared towards all age groups. These techniques will cover the developmental and social aspects of sports participation while helping your athlete improve in their sport. We work with athletes one-on-one and can also work with their parents/guardians, communicating progress and ensuring parents are comfortable with the process. During the sessions, athletes can expect to do a variety of activities such as worksheets, games, one-on-one talking sessions, and also parent and athlete sessions. We also offer sessions just for parents. These include:

Parents and coaches play a large role in youth athletes’ overall experience in sport. The way they handle winning and losing, how they keep youth athletes interested in sport, and the life lessons they teach are all important factors to keep in mind when dealing with young athletes. Changing the face of youth sports is an initiative that all coaches and parents should take to help young athletes fall in love with sports.

What other services does Premier Sport Psychology offer?

Premier also offers a variety of other services including team building sessions, coach consultations, and sport psychology workshops. These are great ways to get teams and coaches on the same page when it comes to youth athletics. Building a safe and productive team atmosphere can be instrumental in a young athlete’s life, not only for how they view sports in the future, but also for building lifelong friendships and life skills such as leadership, teamwork, and sportsmanship.

How do I approach sport psychology with my child?

Talking about sport psychology with a youth athlete may be tough, but here are a few tips that will make it easier for you and your athlete:

– Always be upfront and open with your athlete about the idea of sport psychology.– Frame coming in for a sport psychology session as a mental muscle “training session.” Explain to them that the brain is just another muscle that needs training too.– Emphasize that professional, Olympic, college, and high school athletes use sport psychology to become better too. Make it something that is normal to them.– Explain that all the sport psychologists at Premier have played high levels of sports, so they can speak the language and relate to them.– Let them know that if they are comfortable, they can meet one-on-one with our professionals.– Direct them to watch our online videos.– Emphasize that everything they share in their session is confidential. Their teammates, coaches, and other parents do not have to know they are going to sport psychology sessions if they do not want them to.– Let them know that they will not just be sitting and talking during the session. They will be doing a variety of activities such as worksheets, games, and learning life skills in a fun and interactive way.